2

The standard directions for dealing with .ins and .dtx files is to

... run LaTeX on the .ins file to unpack the .dtx file ...

I understand what this means in a UNIX context. What, if anything, does it mean in a Windows context?

Obviously I am trying to load a package into a Windows installation of LaTeX that does not have a very capable Package Manager. Some packages I can load by just putting the appropriate files in the appropriate subdirectories of the LaTeX program, but that of course will not work when there are .ins and .dtx files.

In case anybody wonders, the LaTeX program I am dealing with is version 6 of PCTeX. I know, I know, I should just use MikTeX, which I have on my computer and know how to use.

Arzigoglu
  • 1,348
Wesley N. Mathews Jr.
  • 41
  • Welcome! It means exactly the same thing in a Windows context: run latex <filename>.ins or whatever. I don't understand the problem. (Admittedly, I don't know anything about Windows except that it has ground the English health service to a halt, but latex should work just the same regardless.) – cfr May 16 '17 at 00:58
  • See https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/2063/how-can-i-manually-install-a-package-on-miktex-windows. The first step (creating of sty etc. files) is the same. The second (installation) depends on the the TeX distribution. But you can always use the working directory of you document for additional packages if you have problems with global installation. – Schweinebacke May 16 '17 at 05:52

1 Answers1

5

On Windows, after downloading and unzipping the package contents in the directory you like (let's call it <your_path>), you have to start the Command Prompt and type there:

cd <your_path>
latex <your_file>.ins

Here is an example (Windows 10, Italian version):

enter image description here

In case some instructions are presented on the screen, follow them.

Eventually, you'll get:

enter image description here

As indicated, if <your_path> isn't already a directory where LaTeX looks for inputs files, to finish the installation, move the <your_file>.sty file into such a directory.

CarLaTeX
  • 62,716
  • Please note that the dialog you show in your second picture is not part of the standard installation procedure: I implemented it myself in the code of the .ins file. Moreover, many installation script disregard the \usedir facility completely, and just save files in the current directory. – GuM May 16 '17 at 10:12
  • @GustavoMezzetti Thank you I didn't know that, should I delete my answer or deleting the second picture is enough? – CarLaTeX May 16 '17 at 10:14
  • @GustavoMezzetti BTW, yours is the only one package I installed this way... – CarLaTeX May 16 '17 at 10:26
  • No, your answer is useful, don’t delete it: it’s just OK to remove the second picture, as you did, and perhaps to replace it with a generic advice to follow the instructions presented on the screen. – GuM May 16 '17 at 20:35
  • "It means exactly the same thing in a Windows context. run latex.ins ,,,." would make sense to one brought up on DOS, but not to one brought up on Windows. I would say that one has to do three things: (1) put the extracted package pieces in a temporary directory; (2) in the DOS Command Prompt, cd to that directory; (3) in the Command Prompt window, type latex .ins for each of the .ins files. Then put the pieces in the appropriate LaTeX subdirectories. One can determine the appropriate subdirectories by looking at where the pieces of other packages are. Many thanks – Wesley N. Mathews Jr. May 19 '17 at 17:23
  • @WesleyN.MathewsJr. If you are replying cfr's comment, you have to write your one under your question and put @ followed by cfr at the beginning to ping her. – CarLaTeX May 19 '17 at 18:01
  • Another big caveat is NOT TO USE ./ at the start of your filename, which PowerShell autocompletion of the path will do, and will lead to Undefined control sequence. errors. Could you clarify this in your answer? :) – Robin De Schepper Sep 21 '23 at 15:29